The James Beard Award Foundation today announced the finalists for its 2017 awards recognizing outstanding achievements in the culinary industry. The winners will be announced May 1 at a gala awards ceremony at Chicago’s Civic Opera House.
The Chicago nominees include:
Outstanding Restaurant
Topolobampo, Chicago
Best Chef Great Lakes (Chicago landed all five available nomination slots)
Abraham Conlon, Fat Rice
Sarah Grueneberg, Monteverde
Beverly Kim and Johnny Clark, Parachute
Lee Wolen, Boka
Erling Wu-Bower, Nico Osteria
Outstanding Baker
Greg Wade, Publican Quality Bread
Outstanding restaurant design (76 seats or more)
Momotaro Chicago ( Firm: AvroKO; Designers: Kristina O’Neal, Adam Farmerie, Greg Bradshaw, William Harris)
Rising Star Chef of the Year
Jenner Tomaska, Next
Outstanding Restaurateur
Kevin Boehm and Rob Katz, Boka Restaurant Group Chicago
Television Program, TV segment (the awards in this category will be handed out April 25 in New York)
“The Hungry Hound,” Steve Dolinsky, ABC-Channel 7
